Royal Mint to give silver coins to babies born on same day as Royal Baby

Babies born on the same day will be presented with silver pennies to mark the occasion.

The Royal Mint, the organisation in the UK responsible for making all British coins in circulation and also many decorative and collectible coins, has announced that it will be giving a special silver penny to babies born on the same day as the Royal Baby.

In a statement, The Royal Mint said, “In a fitting gesture that is also in keeping with an age-old tradition to mark a new birth with a gift of silver for good luck, The Royal Mint is giving babies born on the same day as the future monarch a suitably royal welcome by presenting them with a silver penny struck with the year of their birth.”

Shane Bissett, Director of Commemorative Coin at the Royal Mint said: “The birth of the royal baby will be a joyous occasion not just for Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but also for the whole nation, as we prepare to celebrate another remarkable milestone in their life journey together. However, it will also be a special day for many mothers and fathers across the country as they too welcome the arrival of their new baby, hence why we wanted to extend this historical moment to them with a lucky silver penny”.

Blue for a boy; pink for a girl.

With the Duchess of Cambridge due to give birth any day now, the Royal Mint is reviving an old tradition on a large scale. Throughout history, crossing the palm of a new born baby with silver or offering them a silver penny was also seen as a way to wish them wealth and good health throughout their life – whilst this is now a largely symbolic keepsake, in days gone by it was also used as money for the baby.

According to the Royal Mint, parents have sixty days following the birth to obtain one of the 2,013 coins that are to be made available by them.